“No, sir; I shall call you uncle no longer,” answered Anna, blushing scarlet—“until—until——”
“You have a legal claim to the use of the word. Well, that will come in due time, I trust; if not, it shall be my care to see you have a title to a still dearer appellation. There, widow—Mrs. McBrain, I mean—I think that will do. But, seriously, child, you cannot imagine that Mary Monson means ever to return to her prison, there to be tried for life?”
“If there is faith in woman, she does, sir; else would I not have exposed myself to the risk of accompanying her.”
“In what manner did you come to town, Anna?” asked the anxious mother. “Are you not now at the mercy of some driver of a hackney-coach, or of some public cabman?”
“I understand that the carriage which was in waiting for us, half a mile from Biberry, is Mrs. Monson’s——”
“Mrs.!” interrupted Dunscomb—“Is she, then, a married woman?”
Anna looked down, trembled, and was conscious of having betrayed a secret. So very precious to herself had been the communication of Marie Moulin on this point, that it was ever uppermost in her thoughts; and it had now escaped her under an impulse she could not control. It was too late, however, to retreat; and a moment’s reflection told her it would every way be better to tell all she knew, on this one point, at least.
This was soon done; for even Marie Moulin’s means of information were somewhat limited. This Swiss had formerly known the prisoner by another name; though what name, she would not reveal. This was in Europe, where Marie had actually passed three years in this mysterious person’s employment. Marie had even come to America, in consequence of this connection, at the death of her own mother; but, unable to find her former mistress, had taken service with Sarah Wilmeter. Mary Monson was single and unbetrothed when she left Europe. Such was Marie Moulin’s statement. But it was understood she was now married; though to whom, she could not say. If Anna Updyke knew more than this, she did not reveal it at that interview.[interview.]
“Ah! Here is another case of a wife’s elopement from her husband,” interrupted Dunscomb, as soon as Anna reached this point in her narration; “and I dare say something or other will be found in this wretched Code to uphold her in her disobedience. You have done well to marry, Mrs. McBrain; for, according to the modern opinions in these matters, instead of providing yourself with a lord and master, you have only engaged an upper-servant.”
“No true-hearted woman can ever look upon her husband in so degrading a light,” answered the bride, with spirit.